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Predicting Attendance at Follow-Up Evaluations in Alcoholism Treatment Outcome Research
Francis S. Gilbert, Pamela J. Maxwell
The potential utility of an early-warning system involving the use of attendance at scheduled clinical appointments to predict attrition of research subjects from follow-up evaluations was investigated. Subjects ( N = 92) discharged from an inpatient alcoholism treatment program into a treatment outcome study were monitored on their aftercare attendance for 1 year postdischarge. Attendance at clinical aftercare sessions during the follow-up year was correlated significantly with attendance at the research project’s quarterly follow-up evaluations ( p < .001) and with total number of research evaluations completed ( p < .001). Number of weeks spent in aftercare before dropping out also improved prediction of attendance or nonattendance at quarterly follow-up evaluations during the first 6 months postdischarge ( p < .01). The findings suggest that monitoring attendance at clinical services may be a useful step in minimizing attrition of research subjects from follow-up evaluations.
